By way of introduction: Where today do we see where people are planning evil, particularly for evil upon God’s people - the church?

Read Acts 8:1-25

1. In 8:1-3 we see the great persecution, the church is scattered from Jerusalem, and we meet an enemy in Saul. What does this teach us about God’s sovereignty in suffering across the Book of Acts?

2. What are the connections between Acts 8:4-8 and Acts 1:8? (How important is Acts 1:8 for understating the whole gospel?)

3. In Acts 21:8 he is called ‘Philip the evangelist’, and ‘one of the seven’. Who were the seven? Are ‘the seven’ numbered among the Apostles?

4. As Philip preaches in Samaria, what is it that he preaches? What message do the Samaritans respond to?

5. As the gospel has come to Samaria, the Apostles are sent from Jerusalem to Samaria to pray for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-17). We see here that the Apostolic gospel of Jesus has now verifiably come even to Samaria. How did Jews and Samaritans get on in those days, (Read Luke 9:51-56)?

   Remember this hate has a long history going back to the division of the kingdom, where ten norther tribes broke away left two down with Jerusalem, Judah and Benjamin. Then after the Assyrian conquest there was a mixing or syncretism of religion in the northern tribes where God was worshipped in a different temple on a different mountain (Mount Gerizim). So there is left this people mixed in race and religion, and despised by Jews, it’s a deeply embedded historical hate.

   What changes here in Acts 8?

6. We meet Simon the magician, who doesn’t seem to come across as an enemy of Jesus and his church like Saul (whom we met earlier). Yet, what is Simon’s problem with the gospel of Jesus Christ?

7. The gospel goes as wide as Samaria and yet Simon the magician won’t receive it deep in his heart because he has other things more important to him there. What do we learn in our application of this for us…?

   • The gospel can go wide, even as people are planning evil upon us as the church, how…?

   • The gospel needs to go deep in us, how can we let that happen?

Pray that we will be able to respond to God’s word in the power of Jesus name - as we pray for one another.